About Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre is a Singapore Mandarin theatre company that loves to dream up game-changing ways to do things. Since the beginning, we have insisted on the hard route of investing time and effort in training our actors, so that we can create works that feel integrated because of consistency and grounded-ness. We believe in entertaining our audience, but in ways that are honest and thoughtful. We present Mandarin productions with English surtitles. They are often described as culturally challenging, emotionally universal and full of care for humanity. Our works have therefore always allowed us to connect with audiences from all backgrounds. We like to busy ourselves with ideas on how to engage our audiences beyond performances, and to share our knowledge with the larger community. We are also very interested in finding ways to dialogue with local and international counterparts through difficult but meaningful collaboration.

Nine Years Theatre Ltd. is a charity with IPC status. Nine Years Theatre is supported by the National Arts Council under the Major Company Scheme for the period from 1 April 2019 to 13 November 2020.

Who Are We?

A major player in the Singapore Mandarin theatre scene, and one that intends to stay.

A champion of the practice and research of actor training.

A company that works with a regular group of actors, known as the NYT Ensemble.

A maker of productions that call your soul to work.

What Are Our Beliefs?

That we will not create without training, and that we will train in order to create.

That our work will always benefit from it being difficult to make.

That the audience should not merely consume art, but be given the opportunity to discuss art.

That Theatre is always about people.

What Are Our Aims?

To build the Nine Years Theatre Ensemble - a group of actors who train together regularly, in a systematic way, over an extended period of time.

To create high quality stage productions that are consistent, grounded and integrated.

To research, share and champion the notion and practice of actor training.

To engage the audience in the discussion of art.

To continuously develop new modes, methods and models in our work.

To build and promote a Singapore presence on international platforms.

What is Our Dream?

For Nine Years Theatre to have its own full-time Ensemble and a home with spaces for training, creation and performance.

Things We Create

Production: Re-imagination of classic works - We love to see things afresh!

Production: Original works - Take an idea, make a play.

Classes: Suzuki Method of Actor Training and Viewpoints - Pure, hard work.

Classes: Mandarin diction and speech - Because the audience deserves nothing lesser.

Training: Free training platforms for the artistic community - Because it’s about giving to the people.

Our Past and Present Partners

Commissioning Partners - Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Esplanade Huayi Festival, Singapore International Festival of the Arts, Macau Arts Festival, M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

Artistic Partners - SITI Company (New York), T.H.E. Dance Company (Singapore), The Necessary Stage (Singapore), Centre42 (Singapore), Contemporary Legend Theatre (Taiwan)

Corporate Partners - Pek Sin Choon, CornerStone Wines, Raffles Studio, BooksActually, Samuel Seow Law Corporation, City Book Room, Woods in the Books, Going Om, Tolido's Espresso Nook, Hook on Books, Hotel Royal, M.A.C Cosmetics

Institutional Partners - TrendLit Publishing, Hong Leong Foundation, Lee Foundation, BinjaiTree, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, Promote Mandarin Council, Institut Français Singapour, Ambassade de France à Singapour, Japan Foundation